PORTSMOUTH – The City of Portsmouth’s budget document has received the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting for a fourth straight year, City Manager John Bohenko announced Monday.

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) conferred its Distinguished Budget Document Presentation Award upon the City’s Fiscal Year 2010 budget document for the period beginning July 1, 2009. GFOA says the award “reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of government reporting.”

Bohenko said GFOA gave the City’s budget document high marks based on 27 nationally recognized criteria in the four main categories of serving as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and a communications device.

“Receiving this award once again is a welcome affirmation of our continuing efforts to have the City’s budget document effectively convey our vision and policies as we work to provide quality services to our citizens,” the city manager said. “It also recognizes the dedication of our City staff working under the guidance of Finance Director Judie Belanger with the support of our City Council.”

Belanger added, “While it is always gratifying to be recognized for our efforts to meet, and exceed, national budgeting standards, we were especially pleased to have reviewers describe the budget as ‘easy to read’ and ‘user-friendly.’”

The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program, established in 1984, recognizes exemplary budget documentation by state, provincial and local governments, as well as public universities and colleges. GFOA is comprised of 17,500 government finance professionals throughout North America.

In 2006, Portsmouth became the first New Hampshire municipality to receive the prestigious national budgeting recognition.